How long are coffee beans good for past "use by" date?

[Mr.Peaberry]

This discussion is so subjective it has me laughing one second, and cringing the next. Oh MY!! Too many variable to have a generic discussion. All I know for sure is that if someone is given a bag of coffee with a roast date on it and no other information...it would be impossible to know if the brewed beverage is even drinkable. A case in point. I was in Guatemala with my good friend Alex (BIC). Alex took me to a bakery one morning for breakfast...Xelapan. Amazing aromas and baked goods just screaming to be consumed with a good cup of coffee. I recall having been interrupted by Alex while ordering coffee. Alex said, "You don't want to do that Doug!" "Why not?" I asked. "Because it is very bad coffee...really, really bad coffee." "How bad?" I asked. He then explained that in most of the restaurants in Guatemala, the coffee is brewed from defective beans removed during processing of greens for export...or at least a fair percentage of the "blend" was such. I decided that I had to experience this for myself...yes, it's kinda like getting punched in the gut, but at least you can speak from experience about how it feels, or tastes in this case. Knowing expiration dates or even roast dates alone will not provide an answer as to the experience one will have with the brew. That's all I'm going to say about that..lol!

 

[BlumKram1]

Everything that's expired is expired, I'd not dare roast such coffee beans

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

Everything that's expired is expired, I'd not dare roast such coffee beans

I'm not sure what this means. Coffee beans do not come with expiration dates. Well sorted high quality specialty grade coffee, stored in poor conditions, may develop off tastes early due to mold or co-mingled spices. So many variables to arrive at a good end product (beverage), that a bean may be useless before it has staled due to age. Also, who determines expiration? If it is the average coffee drinker, count me out...lol!